Elias Velazquez

Candidate for Mayor, Escondido

Elias Velazquez grew up in Escondido in a working-class family that emphasized hard work, community, and service. He earned a political science degree from California State University, Chico, then worked in Stockton for a community organizing firm focused on education policy before returning home. In 2021 he worked with Escondido's mayor and city council on local initiatives, including adoption of the city's Climate Action Plan, joining the Clean Energy Alliance, expanding homeless-outreach services during a period when unsheltered homelessness fell roughly 30 percent, and advancing mayoral term limits. He later worked serving military veterans and their families, including those dealing with PTSD and Gold Star families, and has operated a small business. He now serves as Information Director and Volunteer Coordinator for the Brother Benno Foundation, a nonprofit addressing homelessness and addiction. He volunteers teaching citizenship classes and serves as Scholarship Chair for a local Rotary Club and with the Escondido Charitable Foundation.

Velazquez's campaign lists four top issues without explicit ranking: homelessness, ending the city's ICE contract, expanding affordable housing, and public safety. On homelessness, he points to his own work moving people from homelessness into housing and employment and pledges to strengthen partnerships with service providers. On the ICE contract, he argues canceling it would let local police build more cooperative relationships with residents. On housing, he supports expanding affordable housing to keep residents in the community as a path out of homelessness. On public safety, he supports investing in both law enforcement and crime-prevention community programs.

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